


Hylia's Chosen

by cyraclove



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Drabble Collection, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda) Fluff, Post-Breath of the Wild, Pre-Breath of the Wild, zelink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:00:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26926981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyraclove/pseuds/cyraclove
Summary: A collection of various zelink drabbles/requests from my Tumblr page. I will continue to add onto this as I write more, so stay tuned! T for language.
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 41





	1. A Midnight Rhyme

“...and even after darkest night, faithful dawn will break anew. As sated lovers face the light, the starlit sky gives way to morning dew.”

Hearing a soft snore, Link glanced up from the book of poems to see Zelda’s head on the table, cradled in the crook of her arm. He smiled, the corner of his mouth quirking up as he chuckled softly.

He closed the book and stood, setting it down on the long, wooden table at which they’d been sitting since the early evening. The moon had long since made its debut, sending gentle beams of champagne-colored light through the arched windows and onto the stone floor of the library.

Zelda’s tired eyes fluttered open when he leaned down to press a light kiss to her forehead.

“Hey,” he said, another smile tugging at his lips, “It’s late. Let’s go to bed.”

She mumbled an incoherent protest before responding.

“I can’t.”

“And why is that?”

“I can’t walk.”

Link crossed his arms as he watched the princess make a failed attempt at hiding an uncharacteristically girlish grin.

“Ah, that’s terrible news, indeed. What sort of ailment would cause such a thing?”

“Sudden Immobility Syndrome. It’s inexplicable and very serious.”

“Sounds it.”

Link knelt next to her chair then, his face level with hers. With his thumb he skimmed her jawline in a featherlight caress, simply to delight in the way she leaned into his touch. The shimmer of the hearth’s firelight reflected in her sea storm eyes as she met his gaze.

“Is there a cure for this devastating disease?” He asked, his voice a sly lilt.

“I’m afraid not. You’ll have no choice but to carry me everywhere we go from now on.”

“It’ll be as you wish, my lady.”

Zelda let out an odd sound when he hooked one arm under her legs and slipped the other around her waist, like a yelp married to a giggle. Link hoisted her up in one swift movement, her arms instinctively twining around his neck for support.

He let the warmth of her body sink into his, a sensation that he’d been craving all day. The welcome scent of fresh ink and lavender greeted him when her head fell to his shoulder.

“How does this suit you?”

He felt her grin against his tunic.

“Oh, very well, thank you.”

With her highness safely in tow, Link began making his way out of the library and into the sprawling corridor that led to Zelda’s bedroom; his footsteps echoed in the silence of the castle at midnight.

“You stopped reading,” Zelda mumbled quietly as they approached her room, “I wanted to hear the end.”

Link nudged his way inside, pressing the door open with his shoulder as he tried to mind Zelda’s head. Gingerly, he laid her down on the bed and sat beside her.

“You fell asleep,” he reminded her. She grumbled, lazily stretching her arms above her.

“You should finish it.”

“I don’t have the book with me, dove.”

“Try?”

Link sighed, an endearing smile finding its way into his face. Propping himself up with his elbow, he lay on his side next to Zelda. She curled herself into him, and he pressed her close with his other hand. A cool, delicate breeze whispered in through a window left open, fluttering the gauzy drapes.

He dipped his head to capture her lips with his in a gentle kiss, a contented hum leaving her before she again closed her heavy eyes.

“With mirthful thanks I greet this morn as in the sun I stand, for from your love is earth reborn and shaped by thine own hand.”


	2. Basorexia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Request from a prompt list. 
> 
> 'basorexia' -- the sudden and overwhelming urge to kiss someone

“I come seeking guidance...”

He could hear her, even above the din from the circle of waterfalls that fed the Spring of Power. Link stood with his back to the princess as she waded at the feet of the Goddess Hylia, the statue towering over the tranquil spring. The night was calm, the cool Akkala breeze scented with both salt from the coast and barley from the fields. Leaves quivered gently on their branches, the sound marrying itself to the symphony of chittering insects. 

Despite its beauty, the atmosphere surrounding the spring that night was melancholic. They had come here out of necessity and desperation both; if the princess failed in her appeal to Hylia to aid in awakening her sacred power, all would be lost. Try as he might, Link was unable to shake the odd feeling of foreboding that he had been carrying with him for the duration of their pilgrimage. His faith in Zelda was far from lacking, but even still. 

Something was coming, and he could feel it. Something that neither he nor Zelda would be able to conquer, granted the goddess’s blessing or not.

“This power that has been passed down over time...it evades me,” he heard Zelda murmur.

“My entire life has been spent kneeling in prayer and I have yet to hear, _or feel_ , any proof of the existence of this power within _me._ ”

The mounting tremble in Zelda’s voice made Link’s heart ache for her. She was forced to be in his near constant presence, meaning that he had witnessed every plea preceding this one, each invocation more despondent than the last. He had seen her blink back bitter tears, heard her curse under her breath. Though they hardly spoke, he felt as though he knew this woman more intimately than he’d known anyone. 

“I grovel at your feet and you are still deaf to my devotion,” she said through her teeth. The ire in her tone startled him, being something he’d not heard before. Link resisted the urge to turn around even when he heard her strike the water’s surface.

“ _Curse you._ ” 

Slowly, he turned.

Her voice like shards of ice, Zelda scowled up at the effigy, fists balled at her sides beneath the water. 

“ _Please_ , just tell me!” she cried, the words laden with animosity, “What’s wrong with me?” 

Without warning, she sank into the water right before his eyes. A blur of gold and white, she was nothing but a shimmer beneath the spring’s rippling surface. Panic spiking in his gut, Link took a few hesitant steps forward. When she did not immediately resurface, he discarded his weapon. After ripping off his boots as swiftly as he could, he tore through the water towards her. 

“ _Zelda!_ ”

The name felt foreign on his tongue, having only ever addressed her by her title. When he reached her hazy figure, he dipped his arms below the water to hook one around her waist. He hoisted her up and she instantly fell into him, her hands groping blindly at his shoulders as she gasped for breath. He tightened his grip on her, bracing himself with his back foot as she went almost lax against his chest. 

“I’ve got you,” he said, “just breathe.” 

After a moment, her eyes flickered up towards his face, the light from the moon catching the water glittering on her lashes. Tired eyes like ocean waves, brimming with tears. Bathed in cold, lavender moonlight, she was as radiant as any star. As he looked down at her, he wondered if he’d ever really seen her before. 

_Oh._

The air hung heavy between them, thick with unspoken longing. Their breath mingling with each exhale, Link felt himself instinctively begin to close the agonizing space that separated them. A shiver ran up his spine, the heat of their connection in stark contrast to the chill of the water. Zelda’s lips parted as though she were about to speak, but she said nothing. Instead, she gave the tiniest nod, and he finally captured her mouth with his. 

His hands were at her back, clutching her to him as though she might vanish any moment. He heard her hum softly, the sound buzzing on his skin as the sweet warmth of her lips melded with his. His head swam when she wound her arms around his neck, the pounding of his own heartbeat drowning out the crash of the waterfalls as she pulled him closer. 

As though suspended in time, they lingered in each other’s arms until the damnable sun began to rise, silently pleading with it to let them remain there for just a while longer. 

Admittedly, he had wondered several times before what it might be like to kiss Zelda; how it would feel to have her body pressed against his, what she might taste like. In the pitch of night he had dreamt of her, daring to imagine a moment like this one. 

He realized then that despite all of his dreaming, nothing could have prepared him for reality.

She tasted like salvation.


	3. Balter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Request from a prompt list. 
> 
> 'balter' -- to dance gracelessly, but with enjoyment

“It seems frivolous to have a _party_ while most of the country is still undergoing reparations,” Zelda muttered as she and Link walked down the main hall towards the grand ballroom. Being the latest room in Hyrule Castle to be refurbished, it required the queen’s approval. Everything nowadays seemed to require her approval.

It was exhausting. 

“I don’t disagree, but,” Link replied with a slight shrug, “I do think that Impa has a point. If nothing else, it might lift spirits.” 

The ball was meant to bring to a close the summit that would be held at the castle in just three days time. Zelda had been organizing this gathering of leaders from each region in Hyrule for over a year, having traveled to deliver each proposal personally. 

She had been hesitant when the ball was initially suggested, only agreeing under the condition that it would be open invitation for the entire kingdom. The whole purpose of the summit was to unite her people after a century of division; this could not be done without complete transparency. 

“You know that I am certainly in favor of building rapport with my people, but let me _go to them_. I need to see their homes, their children. What life is like for them. I know that I wouldn’t want to come here and see how much money and labor has been poured into this place if I couldn’t even put food on my table.” 

When Link did not respond, Zelda’s eyes flickered up to find him softly smiling at her. 

“What?” 

“Nothing. You’re just good at this.” 

Zelda felt a tiny flutter in her stomach and quickly glanced away, biting her lip in a failed attempt to veil her involuntary grin. 

“Well,” she said, “empathy alone does not a sovereign make.” 

Link chuckled, cocking a brow at her. “You’re allowed to take compliments, you know.” 

Her cheeks burned hot. She damned herself for neglecting to put on rouge that morning, knowing there was nothing to conceal her blush. 

“You’re right. Thank you,” she conceded, “you’re very kind.” 

“Just honest.”

Arriving at the intimidatingly large ballroom doors, Zelda took in a long breath through her nose and closed her eyes. 

_Think tall. Smile._ _Breathe._

The moment that Link opened the door for her, she was immediately inundated. Disappointed, but not surprised. 

“You majesty, we’d love your opinion on a color for the drapes--”

“--and if you look closely at the chandelier, you’ll see that we sourced the crystal from the Hebra region--”

“Don’t forget that you’re due at the clothier for your gown fitting this afternoon, and--”

“As soon as you’re ready, your majesty, we can practice the waltz.”

_Waltz?_

Zelda’s head snapped toward her newest royal advisor, a young woman named Calyn, from Akkala. She was fond of Calyn for several reasons, but mostly because she was good company. Her sense of humor mirrored Zelda’s in more ways than one, and she was never without a story to tell. Aside from Link, Calyn was one of the only people whose nearly constant presence did not irritate her.

“I’m sorry. Did you say _waltz?_ ” 

Calyn nodded, emitting a nervous laugh. The woman’s eyes darted towards a cellist and violinist seated next to her, instruments at the ready. How had Zelda failed to notice them when they walked in? 

“Yes, your majesty. Practice. For the ball? I thought I told you.” 

“That was...today?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

Zelda sighed. _Of course it was._

She nodded, smiling at a very anxious looking Calyn in order to wordlessly assure her that she was not at any fault. 

“Ah, that’s right. I’d almost forgotten. Thank you for arranging everything, Calyn.” 

The other woman’s expression immediately softened, her shoulders dropping in relief. She clasped her hands together. 

“It was my pleasure, your majesty.”

Calyn quickly cleared the room of everyone else, earning protests from architects and chefs alike. Zelda chuckled inwardly as she watched her shoo them all out. 

Calyn returned with a rather triumphant look on her face, arms akimbo. “Right, then. Now, if you’d both stand in the center, there.” 

Zelda and Link looked at one another simultaneously. She swallowed hard, unable to decipher if the look in Link’s eyes was one of bewilderment or excitement. As they stood there in silence, Calyn again began to pale. The musicians eyed them curiously. 

“The two of _us?_ ” She asked, as if there were a million other men in the room. 

“Her majesty was to select a partner for the waltz,” Calyn gently reminded her. 

_Shit. That’s right._

Zeldahad had Link in mind from the very moment that Calyn had informed her of this tradition, but had felt a sudden and overwhelming urge to vomit every time she thought that she’d finally mustered up enough nerve to ask. She smiled weakly, trying desperately to ignore the sound of her pulse in her ears. 

Poor Calyn shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, her eyes darting frantically between the queen and her knight. 

“Has Sir Link accepted, your majesty?”

“He has,” Link answered for her, much to Zelda’s surprise. He beamed at her as he extended his hand for her to take, the handsome cut of his jawline catching the light as he bowed his head in ceremony. 

Slipping a gloved hand in his, Zelda let Link guide her to the center of the floor, praying that he could not detect the slight tremble in her fingers. He gingerly placed his hand on her waist, the warmth emanating from his touch sending a thrill through her chest. Their faces a mere hairsbreadth apart, Zelda felt the irrational urge to find out what might happen if she were to press her lips to his right then. 

Calyn’s voice shattered the thought, making Zelda startle in Link’s arms. 

“Splendid! Music, please.” 

The musicians began playing a lively waltz, the lovely timbre of their strings filling the room with the bright melody. Zelda met Link’s gaze, panic spiking in her gut. 

“I don’t know how to dance,” she whispered. 

The corner of his mouth quirked up. “Neither do I,” he replied. He placed his broad hand on her back, pulling their bodies flush as he took her hand in his. She reeled as the sudden closeness, stifling a little gasp. 

“Ready?” 

“No.” 

Link laughed as he started to lead her around the dance floor, taking wide, sweeping steps that made it difficult for her to keep up. Zelda felt a _giggle_ burble up from somewhere deep inside of her. They stumbled together, moving in a way that could possibly be likened to dancing if one were to squint. 

After several moments, Zelda found herself laughing to the point of pain as she let Link carry her across the room with him, twirling her clumsily and far too often. She was so entranced that she did not hear Calyn’s attempt at instruction, instead putting her trust in this man who had absolutely no idea what he was doing. 

When they finally came to a halt, Zelda tripped over her own skirt and fell into Link’s arms. He laughed as he caught her, a litany of apologies leaving him amidst the laughter. Her head still spinning, she craned her neck to kiss him on the cheek. She stilled after she realized what she’d just done, only to receive a kiss in return. 

It was then that she realized that if this wasn’t truly how the waltz was done, she had no real interest in learning how. 


	4. Noceur

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Request from a prompt list. 
> 
> 'noceur' -- one who stays up late

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this one ran away from me a bit and isn't as zelink as the others, but I still think it turned out cute. Who doesn't like a little Revali from time to time as a treat?

Zelda had always favored the night. She found solace in the silence, the contented emptiness left behind after everyone else had gone to sleep. It was then that she could finally _think_ , the din of the day put away to be dealt with some other time. In the pitch of night is when she could crack the spine of any book she pleased and read by candlelight until dawn crested over the horizon, reality following close behind it. 

Lately, however, she had come to crave nighttime for an entirely different reason. It was the only time that _he_ was not constantly watching, his eyes trained on her like a hawk on its prey. Privacy had become a myth since Link had been appointed as her knight attendant, only stoking the embers of her ire for him. 

Perhaps the reason for her otherwise inexplicable dislike of the young man was because he had come into his power effortlessly, his purpose finding him with ease. The very moment Link had curled his fingers around the hilt of the Master Sword, he was proclaimed champion in the name of The Goddess herself _._ The very same Goddess, Zelda thought, whose blood supposedly flowed through her veins, whose power lie dormant in the depths of her soul.

Why, then, could she not rouse it?

Her skin prickled hot with agitation as she recalled the day that he pulled that damned sword and became a permanent fixture of Zelda’s life. Every waking hour he was there, mouth pressed into a tight, silent line. It made sense that she would be plagued by a man whose only purpose was his duty when she had been unable to fulfill hers. His very presence was a nagging reminder of her incompetence; her inevitable failure.

And yet, as she sat on the edge of the landing overlooking Lake Totori, she failed to keep her mind from wandering to his _eyes_. Always deep and pensive, she often wondered what they had seen. The moon’s glow on the snow tipped mountains reminiscent of their color, Zelda thought of how intently they focused on her as she spoke, like Link wanted nothing more than to memorize each word.

Sometimes, he looked at her like it was the last time.

Maybe it soon would be.

“Well, now. I was under the impression that royalty required beauty sleep.”

Zelda’s head whipped around, the sudden voice startling her from her thoughts. Standing behind her was Revali, looking just as incredulous as ever.

“Oh,” she said, voice tinged with a nervous chuckle, “you frightened me.”

“I wasn’t expecting anyone else to be up here,” he drawled. His eyes swept over the platform. “Where’s your shadow?”

Zelda scoffed. “Looking for me, I’m sure. He’s likely noticed that I’m gone by now.” She rolled her eyes to the point of pain. “In fact, I’m fairly certain that he only feigns sleep. I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen him close his eyes.”

_His handsome, sea-like eyes._

_Wait. Wait, no—_

Revali let out a laugh.

“It would seem as though we share the same attitude towards your attendant, princess. We may be kindred spirits, after all.”

She grinned in spite of herself. Not the kindest thing to have in common, perhaps, but she had to admit that someone who didn’t fawn over anything that Link had ever done was a nice change of pace.

“Would you like to join me?”

The Rito cocked a feathered brow. “And do what?”

“I don’t know,” Zelda shrugged, “Talk? Enjoy one another’s company?”

He was quiet for a moment as he considered the proposal, eyeing her as though trying to decide whether or not she had some sort of ulterior motive. He sighed.

“I don’t have much experience with the latter,” he conceded, “but I suppose I have no reason to decline.”

He nearly fluttered down beside her, seating himself in a cross-legged position. They sat in silence for a moment, watching the wind send tufts of fresh, powdery snow swirling across the mountain range. Zelda inhaled deeply, relishing in the pleasant sting of the pine-scented air.

“So. Snuck off, did you?” Revali asked, tilting his gaze just slightly in her direction.

She nodded. “It’s rather humiliating that it can even be called that, but, yes. I suppose I did.”

“In need of a respite,” he mused. It wasn’t a question.

“Yes. Very much so.”

“I can’t blame you. I know that I’d certainly need one. Being around that kind of unwarranted pomp and pride all of the time must be exhausting.”

Realizing that he spoke without a shred of irony, Zelda said nothing in response, focusing instead on stifling the grin that tugged at her lips. Revali and Link were almost matched in skill, but the fact that Link had just the slightest edge over him was undeniable. It was evident that Revali was more than aware and that it drove him perfectly insane—something else that she could relate to. However, for all of Link’s skill, he did not boast.

Admirable, albeit irritating.

“He’s really rather humble, actually, though I can see how—”

“You’re defending him now?”

“What? Well…no, what I _mean to say_ is—”

Revali nodded knowingly, softly chuckling to himself as he shook his head disconcertedly. He regarded Zelda with sly eyes, an impish expression on his face.

“I should have known,” he tsked. “ _An unspoken attraction_.”

Zelda bristled immediately, turning to stare at him in disbelief. She felt her hands involuntarily clench into fists as she stammered an attempt at a response.

“ _Attraction?_ Have you lost your mind?”

“I’m merely making an astute observation.”

“Attraction. Ridiculous.”

“Tell me, then…why are you so flushed?”

Zelda’s hands flew to her cheeks, cursing under her breath when she found them hot to the touch. Revali cackled, the shrill sound echoing throughout the night. Zelda could do nothing but bury her face further into her hands and wish desperately to disappear. The Rito champion extended a wing, placing it lightly on her shoulder. She couldn’t decide if it the gesture was one of comfort or pity.

“Don’t fret, your highness. Your secret is safe with me,” he said. Shrugging, he added, “Well, relatively, anyhow.” Before Zelda could register any sort of response, Revali stood, adjusting his scarf. His attention was diverted by the sound of footsteps from behind; someone was bounding up the spiral steps, nearing swiftly.

“It seems as though you’ve been found out, princess. A shame, really. I was just starting to enjoy our conversation.”

Zelda damned her heart for leaping the way it did when Link inevitably appeared on the landing, brow furrowed and chest heaving. She saw him visibly relax the moment he had her in his sight, only to watch him tense again as soon as he glanced at Revali. Link’s eyes darted between the two of them, consternation morphing into confusion. The Rito chortled again, leaving Link with a smack on the back as he passed by and made for the stairs.

“Oh, you needn’t worry, hero. She’s all yours.”

“ _Revali!_ ” Zelda hissed, eliciting even more laughter from him.

“Goodnight, your highness,” he purred, sending a wink in her direction, “and do have a _pleasant_ rest of your evening, won’t you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anastasia references?? In MY fanfiction??? It's more likely than you think

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading and for visiting my Ao3! Come check me out on Tumblr @cyraclove for more.


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